NCAA baseball: Florida State, TCU advance to College World Series – Los Angeles Times

Taylor Walls had two home runs and three Florida State pitchers teamed up for a four-hitter as the Seminoles are back in the College World Series for the first time since 2012 after their 19-0 super-regional win over Sam Houston State on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, Evan Skoug homered for the second consecutive day, Brian Howard extended an impressive postseason pitching streak and Texas Christian advanced to its fourth consecutive CWS with an 8-1 victory over Missouri State at the Fort Worth, Texas, super regional.

The second game of the Wake Forest-Florida super regional in Gainesville, Fla., was suspended in the bottom of the fifth because of rain. The game will resume at 1:04 p.m. EDT Monday with the Demon Deacons leading 5-4. Florida won the series opener Saturday.

Walls, a junior shortstop, reached base in all seven of his plate appearances. He was 3 for 3, drove in four runs and had five runs scored. His home run to left on the third pitch of the game off Bearkats starter Heath Donica was part of a four-run first. Wells also led off the third with a solo shot to left.

The Seminoles (45-21), who had 13 hits among 10 players, had four home runs. Quincy Nieporte, who also drove in four runs, had a three-run homer to left in the second and pinch-hitter Kyle Cavanaugh homered to lead off the eighth. It is Florida State’s first four-homer game this season.

Donica (9-3) allowed a career-high eight runs in two innings, surpassing the previous high of seven. The senior right-hander, who was the first of seven Bearkats pitchers, allowed five hits along with having three walks, three strikeouts and three hit batters.

Jaxxon Grisham was Sam Houston State’s only player to reach third base. He had a one-out double in the seventh, advanced to third on a Taylor Beene ground out and then was stranded.

Drew Parrish (6-3) started for Florida State and had nine strikeouts in five innings. Sam Houston State, which made the super regional for the first time, ends the year 44-23.

Skoug’s two-run homer gave the Horned Frogs (47-16) a 4-1 lead in the third inning after his two-run shot in the eighth of the opener erased a one-run deficit and sent TCU on the way to its first super regional sweep.

Howard (11-3) won his fifth consecutive NCAA Tournament start going back to last season, striking out 11 in 7 1/3 innings to help TCU become the first school since North Carolina (2006-09) with four straight trips to Omaha.

It’s the fifth CWS bid for the Horned Frogs, all since 2010. TCU, the No. 6 national seed, is looking for its first championship.

Hunter Steinmetz hit a leadoff homer for the Bears (43-20), who were trying for the second College World Series berth after knocking off host Arkansas in the Little Rock Regional. The other CWS trip was in 2003.

Missouri State starter Doug Still (8-3) gave up eight hits and four runs in five innings.

Caption

Where does Sergio Romo get his personality? He’s always been the one bouncing off the walls, his family said.

Where does Sergio Romo get his personality? He’s always been the one bouncing off the walls, his family said.

Caption

Where does Sergio Romo get his personality? He’s always been the one bouncing off the walls, his family said.

Where does Sergio Romo get his personality? He’s always been the one bouncing off the walls, his family said.

Caption

UCLA guard Lonzo Ball met with the media following an individual workout with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers will make the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft on June 22.

UCLA guard Lonzo Ball met with the media following an individual workout with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers will make the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft on June 22.

Caption

The Times’ Bill Plaschke, Broderick Turner and Lindsey Thiry discuss Lonzo Ball’s invididual workout for the Lakers and whether or not the organization should draft him with the No. 2 pick.

The Times’ Bill Plaschke, Broderick Turner and Lindsey Thiry discuss Lonzo Ball’s invididual workout for the Lakers and whether or not the organization should draft him with the No. 2 pick.